Festivals and Songs

Hello, people! Welcome to Thursday! We’re winding down another glorious fall week – sunshine, a nip in the air, and fall colors finally making their appearance. Really, what more could you ask for?? Hmmm, maybe something fun to do?

I think I can help you out there…

First off, if you’re around this Saturday and looking to get to know your town a little better, head over to West Concord, where the merchants are hosting a “Discover West Concord Village” day. Seriously, you can wander around from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and hear music, nibble tasty samples over at Debra’s – they’re celebrating their 23rd birthday – do a wine tasting over at Vintages, and peruse the many shops and their wares. There will be flower arranging, woodcarving, and metal forging demos, and a host of other fun stuff to do and see and try. Virtually every business in West Concord will be offering something interesting. For a full list of events, head to their website here.

Sing a song

So once you’re done with the shopping and the sampling of all things West Concord, you should head over to Reasons to Be Cheerful, where they’ll be hosting a Cocoa House. Yes, it’s a Coffee House for kids – how cool is that??

Open to kids of all ages, this open mic is an opportunity for your budding pianist, guitarist, singer, or other musician to strut their stuff in a cozy atmosphere. And the icing on the cake? All performers will get either a kiddie ice cream or a hot cocoa – I’ve had their hot cocoa and it’s worth the calories, believe me. In fact, even if you’re just there to listen, I recommend the hot cocoa. But I digress…

RTBC will have keyboards and a PA system available, and each musician will get five minutes to perform. But it’s limited to just 18 kids, so if you’re interested, you should probably get over there now to sign up. The whole thing starts at 4 p.m., just as the Village Day is ending.

And just to let you know, if you’re an adult with a yen to sing in front of others, you should know that both Emerson Umbrella and Main Street Markets Café host open mic nights: the Umbrella on the first and third Mondays of the month, and the Café on Tuesday nights. So grab your songbook and go check them out!

Read a book

It’s that time again: time to celebrate all things literary. Yes, for the 20th time, the Concord Festival of Authors opens tonight, and runs through Nov. 4, with a plethora of author talks and activities designed to feed your inner reader.

There are events for all ages, from an Animal Stories Party at Barefoot Books to the Medical Lives of Great Writers at the Concord Bookshop to Mystery Night at the library. No matter what your reading, or writing, bent, there is something for everyone. Take a look at their complete schedule here, and I dare you to not be intrigued by at least one topic. Go, now, and broaden your mind.

Speaking of authors…

Our own Maureen Belt was at New York Times bestselling author Margot Livesey’s talk last Thursday at the library, part of the Thursday Author Series sponsored by the Friends of the Library. She told me that Livesey talked about her recent bestseller, “The Flight of Gemma Hardy,” and about Charlotte Bronte, whose famous novel, “Jane Eyre,” served as a model for Gemma. The great part about an author talk is that she stayed after to talk with guests – an excellent opportunity to get all your burning questions about the novel answered.

The next speaker will be Concord resident Alan Lightman, who will discuss his most recent bestseller, “Mr. g.” And yes, it IS lower case…

Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at stefanieac@comcast.net and I will be happy to help you spread the good news. And follow me on Twitter: @stefanie3131.